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Ever since Oscar season became a year-round affair catering both to industry professionals and movie buffs all over the world, there has been a tendency to pencil in certain contenders sight-unseen based on their previous awards success or showbiz prominence. If Steven Spielberg has a new film on the way, it's immediately a prohibitive favorite for at least a nomination. Meryl Streep in a drama about something timely or socially important? That's one Best Actress nod most likely spoken for.

It's always a mistake to think this way. This is something I learned in 2007, when, as a participant in an Oscar prognosticating poll, I predicted Academy Award nominations across the board for "Charlie Wilson's War." How could I not? A drama about the United States' involvement in Afghanistan directed by Mike Nichols (winner for "The Graduate") and starring Tom Hanks (winner for "Philadelphia" and "Forrest Gump"), Julia Roberts (winner for...

The average moviegoer might be eager to watch another chapter in their favorite franchise, but when it comes to the most esteemed awards ceremony in the land, sequels struggle to get much major attention at the Oscars. Throughout its 96 ceremonies so gar, nine direct sequels have been nominated for Best Picture, only two of which have been fortunate enough to go home with the shiny golden man. The first win was in 1975 when Francis Ford Coppola explored two different generations of the Corleone family in "The Godfather Part II." The second wouldn't come until 2004 when the Academy praised Peter Jackson's first fond farewell to Middle-earth and the best of the "Lord and the Rings" and "The Hobbit" movies, "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King."

The two films couldn't be further apart, with one being all about kissing the ring, while the other is about doing...

It's been many decades since J.R.R. Tolkien first published The Hobbit, creating one of the most beloved fantasy franchises. When Peter Jackson decided to adapt The Lord of the Rings novels into an epic trilogy, it was a significant risk, but it paid off in the end and resulted in another trilogy based on The Hobbit. However, the Lotr universe hasn't concluded yet, as The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum will bring one of the best secondary characters of the franchise to the forefront. Gollum, played by Andy Serkis, is a complex figure in Lotr.

Gollum is enthralled by the One Ring and at war with himself throughout the story. He lives for many years and impacts the lives of both Bilbo and Frodo when they embark on their adventures. As time has progressed, it's clear that there's a deeper interest in Gollum and his origin story,...

As Frodo says after destroying the One Ring while sitting on a boulder surrounded by rivers of lava in “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”: It’s done.

After two voting extensions prompted by the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, the nomination voting period for the 97th Academy Awards has officially closed. While the Producers Guild of America, Writers Guild of America, and other key guilds have offered some insight into which films might dominate this year’s Oscars, one thing remains certain: surprises are practically guaranteed when it comes to the Academy.

For seasoned awards pundits, predicting the Oscars has always involved careful calculations, heated debates, and whispered, off-the-record conversations with Academy voters. These chats, typically brimming with insider insights and candid opinions, took on a different tone this year. Many pundits hesitated to reach out in the wake of wildfires that devastated parts of Los Angeles.

In the entire history of the Academy Awards, only six Best Picture winners have been 100 minutes or less. It seems that traditional, Oscar-bait "prestige" pictures tend to run long, attracting Academy voters with their sheer volume. Extra-long films are also a little rare, though, as only five Best Picture Winners are 200 minutes or more. Additionally, a whopping 18 Best Pictures have been between 160 and 195 minutes, so voters clearly don't mind longer movies. Indeed, the average length of a Best Picture winner is 136 minutes. In terms of cinematic storytelling, that seems to be the sweet spot. 

Of course, Roger Ebert's adage needs to be mentioned. The famed critics once posited that no good movie is too long, and no bad movie is short enough. The actual length of a film doesn't really matter, so long as it's a quality picture, and it makes good use of its time. Personally, I feel...

One of the more ambiguous elements of The Lord of the Rings movies was Legolas' murder of Gríma Wormtongue, but Legolas had his reasons. Peter Jackson's Hobbit and Lord of the Rings movies were full of puzzling decisions, but most of them made sense in the long run. Jackson made directorial decisions geared mostly at condensing his source material into three feature-length movies. Adapting The Lord of the Rings, the masterwork of fantasy's greatest writer, was no mean feat. J.R.R. Tolkien's novel was a vast, sprawling epic and Jackson had to change a lot, including Wormtongue's end.

But Wormtongue's death in the trilogy was oft-disputed among fans. In Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie, Legolas shot Gríma Wormtongue with an arrow,w and Wormtongue died at the top of Orthanc. This confused many fans as it seemed contrary to Legolas' normal kindness, and the...

Ian McKellen's powerful wizard is a source of guidance, counsel, and knowledge for the Fellowship in The Lord of the Rings, making for a lot of wise Gandalf quotes. In many ways, Gandalf exemplifies the archetype of the wizard character, and he is great at dispensing wisdom. While Gandalf is also extremely powerful, as one of the few Istari in Middle-earth, his intelligence is one of his greatest strengths. Many of Gandalf's quotes are still enshrined in pop culture today, decades after the original movies were released, and his wisest are always worth remembering.

The best Gandalf quotes are often the ones that display his immense wisdom. Throughout both the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies, Gandalf is an invaluable source of information and guidance. However, many of the wisest things that he says are simple phrases that can be applied to everyday life. Ian McKellen gave such...

Mark your calendars, Oscars fans, because the 97th Academy Awards will air on Sunday, March 2, 2025 on ABC. The annual star-studded ceremony will honor movies released in theaters within the 2024 calendar year of eligibility. AMPAS members will vote on the Oscar winners in 23 categories, including Best Picture. But what will win? Here at Gold Derby, thousands of users have been making and updating their 2025 Oscar predictions for Best Picture, so let’s take a look at all of the top contenders in our photo gallery below.

These 25 Best Picture hopefuls are listed in order of their racetrack odds, which are derived from the combined forecasts of four unique groups: experts we’ve polled from major media outlets, editors who cover awards year-round for this website, top 24 users who had the best accuracy scores last year, and the mass of users who make up our biggest predictions bloc.

There will be 10 Best...

J.R.R. Tolkien's famous The Lord of the Rings provided one Aragorn moment that would have benefited the movies, had it been shown. Published in three parts between 1954 and 1955, The Lord of the Rings is the masterpiece of British author Tolkien. Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy adapted one part of the novel per movie, resulting in some of the best fantasy movies ever made. All three movies in Jackson's first Lord of the Rings trilogy are rated between 90% and 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. But one Aragorn inclusion would have made them even better.

Released in 2001, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring movie debuted American actor Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn. The epic high fantasy adventure movie sold Aragorn well as the classic knight in shining armor, journeying alongside the rest of the Fellowship of the Ring. Aragorn grew throughout the next movie, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers...

In the 97 years that the Academy Awards have been going, certain genres have always remained the underdogs, regardless of how general audiences may feel about them at any given time in history. When it comes to science-fiction, for example, only two entrants in the genre have actually walked away with the Best Picture Oscar, and both are more recent than you might expect. In point of fact, there hadn't been a single Best Picture-winning sci-fi film at all until Guillermo del Toro's sci-fi horror romance "The Shape of Water" came up for air in 2017. Nevertheless, del Toro's story of a woman (Sally Hawkins) falling for a merman (Doug Jones) managed to check all the required boxes at the time, winning Best Picture over the likes of "Call Me By Your Name," "Get Out," "Dunkirk," "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri," "Darkest Hour," "The Post," "Lady Bird," and "Phantom Thread." 

This...

As Season 3 of The Rings of Power is officially under the works, fans can’t wait for the showdown with Halbrand (or Sauron) to reach its next stage. But while fans revel in what lies ahead, no one can move on from the magic that The Lord of the Rings weaved, including Sir Ian McKellen.

It’s been more than 2 decades since the curtain drew on the franchise, with the release of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King in 2003. While McKellen did return a few years later to New Zealand for the shoot of The Hobbit trilogy, there are still some happy memories he holds of his experience, including souvenirs.

When the Fellowship reunited for another Council The Fellowship still stands strong || Warner Bros.

Sir Ian McKellen is no stranger to being a part of successful franchises. But The Lord of the Rings universe will surely top his list.

This article contains spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim had some truly franchise-topping moments in its 134-minute runtime. This animated movie was released in December 2024 as the first anime picture of The Lord of the Rings, following the release of Ralph Bakshi's animated The Return of the King in 1980. The War of the Rohirrim movie is directed by Ghost in the Shell master Kenji Kamiyama. It brought decades' worth of anime expertise to fantasy's best franchise, creating some of The Lord of the Ring's best scenes.

The War of the Rohirrim picture is the first Lord of the Rings movie since 2003's The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. This landmark moment met huge pressure, especially with The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum set for launch in...

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim's digital release date has been revealed after its $15.4 million box office disappointment.

Per Warner Bros., The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim will be available to rent or buy on participating digital platforms – including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, and more – on December 27. Its digital release contains the following special features: "Return to Helm’s Deep: History Becomes Legend," "Middle-earth and Anime: A Marriage of Creativity," and "Héra: A New Hero for Middle-earth."

More to come...

Source: Warner Bros.

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The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim 7/10

Set before the events of the original Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is an animated action-adventure fantasy film that follows a...

A new Lord of the Rings movie reaches another record box office low for Peter Jackson's universe in its second weekend.

Per Box Office Mojo, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim suffered the worst second-weekend drop of the franchise with 72.1%. Previously, the worst second-weekend drop was The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug with 57.2%.

More to come...

Source: Box Office Mojo

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The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim 7/10

Set before the events of the original Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is an animated action-adventure fantasy film that follows a King of Rohan named Helm Hammerhand. When his home comes under siege by Dunlendings, Hammerhand prepares himself and his allies to fight back against them, with the war leading to the...

Wicked Box Office (Worldwide): On Track To Beat Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Wicked registers another splendid weekend at the worldwide box office. It inches closer to the $600 million mark and is also a few thousand dollars away from surpassing the worldwide haul of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. It has dropped to #4 in the domestic box office chart and is also closer to a significant milestone in the US. Scroll below for the deets.

Godzilla x Kong is the 6th highest-grossing film of the year. It is the fifth movie in the MonsterVerse franchise starring Rebecca Hall, Bryan Tyree Henry, Dan Stevens, Kaylee Hottle, Alex Ferns, and Fala Chen. In this movie, the two titans team up to fight against the tyrannical Skar King and the powerful frost-breathing Shimo from invading the earth’s surface. The film collected $80 million in its debut weekend.

In 1937, English author J.R.R. Tolkien penned a children’s book called “The Hobbit,” or “There and Back Again,” which ignited what would become one of the most popular franchises of all time across books, film and television. That means there’s a whole lot to watch, so we’ve put together a handy guide for anyone wondering how to watch all the “Lord of the Rings” and “Hobbit” movies in chronological or release date order.

Tolkien followed the success of “The Hobbit,” which features a Hobbit named Bilbo Baggins and his adventures in the Third Age of the fictional, mystical world of Middle Earth, with a sequel series called “The Lord of the Rings.” Set 60 years after “The Hobbit,” “The Lord of the Rings” follows an ensemble of different characters traveling to defeat the evil One Ring. The “Hobbit” and “Lord of the Rings” books later spawned some of the...

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is seeing mixed reviews and scores, which signals a disappointing streak for the Lord of the Rings cinematic franchise. War of the Rohirrim's story and medium has the potential to herald a new era for J. R. R. Tolkiens' epic fantasy saga, testing the waters for a possible demand for more Lord of the Rings anime movies recounting standalone tales of Middle-earth. The movie depicts Héra (Gaia Wise), daughter of the King of Rohan, leading her people during a terrible war, centuries before some famous Hobbits leave the Shire.

War of the Rohirrim is turning out to be one of the lower-ranked Lord of the Rings movies, also falling generally below the acclaim of the prequel TV show The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. While die-hard Tolkien fans seem to be nonetheless pleased, there is no denying...

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is struggling on Rotten Tomatoes. Animated in a traditional Japanese anime style, the movie is set relatively early in The Lord of the Rings' timeline, taking place 183 years before Frodo's adventures. It depicts the war between Helm Hammerhand (Brian Cox) and the Dunlendings. Alongside Cox, the movie stars Gaia Wise as Héra, Luke Pasqualino as Wulf, and Miranda Otto returning as Éowyn to serve as the movie's narrator.

Despite being a major Lord of the Rings release, Rohirrim is divisive with critics. Alongside 1978's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014), Rohirrim is one of only three Lord of the Rings movies to earn a Rotten Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes with a 52% score. Among top critics, that score sinks to just 35%. Despite its low critical score, it has secured an 85% on the audience-led Popcornmeter.

Miranda Otto returned to reprise her role as Éowyn in The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, though this time, her place in the story is quite unique. Éowyn was an important character in Tolkien's central Lord of the Rings story and was one of the few female characters to hold weight within the plot. This has made Éowyn's return in 2024's animated Lord of the Rings movie all the more exciting, and Otto's reprisal of her iconic character is icing on the cake. Of course, given the setting of War of the Rohirrim, this return isn't so straightforward.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is set just under 200 years before the events of Frodo Baggins' story. It centers on Rohan's King Helm Hammerhand and his conflict with the Dunlendings, which Tolkien outlined in some of his additional work and notes.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim's Rotten Tomatoes score has arrived, and it fails to match the score for the original trilogy. Directed by Kenji Kamiyama, the anime film takes place 183 years before the events of Peter Jackson's three Lord of the Rings films, chronicling the origins of Helm's Deep and a conflict between the Rohirrim and the Dunlendings. The War of the Rohirrim's release comes 10 years after The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, and the film presents a very familiar version of Middle-earth to audiences.

Ahead of its theatrical bow, The War of the Rohirrim has now debuted on Rotten Tomatoes to a lukewarm score of 63% with 27 reviews, as of writing. Though this score is sure to fluctuate as more reviews are added, it currently ranks behind all three Lord of the Rings movies and two Hobbit films. An audience score...

Amazon’s Prime Video since 2022 has been doing its own attempt to capture the magic of J.R.R. Tolkien’s wildly popular Lord of the Rings universe with The Rings of Power, setting it apart from Peter Jackson’s Lotr and Hobbit trilogies, but still suggesting it is a distant cousin of those films. Now, however, Jackson himself is behind another incarnation, the animated The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, joined by his key Lotr contributors Fran Walsh and Phillipa Boyens — all won a boatload of Oscars and film immortality in the early part of this century with the Lord of the Rings trilogy of films, each nominated for Best Picture, and finally sweeping it all in 2003 with 11 Academy Awards for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. This was followed by the Hobbit trilogy.

That had appeared to be it for the Middle-earth adventures of Jackson and company,...

Universal Pictures’ blockbuster musical “Wicked” has been named best picture by the National Board of Review, the organization announced on Wednesday, in addition to taking home the directing prize for Jon M. Chu and a special award for the collaboration of stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.

Over the last 40 years, most of the winners of NBR’s best film has gone on to receive an Oscar nomination for best picture, with the exception of films like 1998’s “Gods and Monsters,” 2000’s “Quills” and 2014’s “A Most Violent Year.” In the 1980s, there were technically two misses with 1987’s “Empire of the Sun” and 1983’s “Betrayal,” the latter of which won in a tie with “Terms of Endearment.” So far this decade, Spike Lee’s war drama “Da 5 Bloods” (2020) is the only film to fail to achieve Oscar recognition. Notably, since the Academy expanded the best picture lineup from...

The importance of The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim's box office success has become even more vital for the franchise. Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings adaptations of The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King were all critical and commercial hits following their respective releases from 2001-2003. This included the movies becoming one of the most lucrative and highest-grossing series in cinematic history. While not as acclaimed, The Hobbit movie trilogy proved to be a box office success as well.

A decade after the theatrical debut of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, the upcoming release of The War of the Rohirrim marks several firsts for the franchise. Instead of being live-action like The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, The War of the Rohirrim is an anime movie. It also is not...

When The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King dominated the 2004 Academy Awards, winning all 11 of its categories including best picture, it made history. Yes, it was the biggest Oscars sweep ever. But it also was probably the first best picture winner with its own toy line.

Until then, well-regarded blockbusters like Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark weren’t able to win the big one. And it hasn’t happened since Lotr, despite worthy efforts from Black Panther, both Avatars and Barbie (the only best picture nominee actually based on a toy line).

But this year’s best picture winner could finally herald the resurgence of commercial-juggernaut cinema.

No, not Dune: Part Two, though it could earn a picture nomination. In terms of going all the way, it’s Wicked of which I speak, that Jon M. Chu movie musical about misunderstood witches and talking animals.

Universal Pictures’ adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical “Wicked” has stormed into awards season, fueled by spectacular ticket sales, glowing reviews and a kind of cultural ubiquity that happens once, maybe twice a year. And the film’s dominance won’t end at the box office. “Wicked” could cast a powerful spell on Oscar voters too, positioning the film as a serious contender for the best picture prize. Directed by Jon M. Chu, the film stands out in a competitive and wide-open awards season dominated by blockbuster sequels like Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune: Part Two” and Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II.”

Here are five reasons why the Academy Awards could be primed for a big green takeover.

Box office bona fides

Box office riches often play a crucial role in improving a film’s Oscar chances, especially in the race for the top honor. “Wicked” opened to gargantuan numbers, demonstrating broad audience appeal.

A movie that made over $378 million at the box office and won the Academy Award for Best Picture has received an unexpected sequel update 16 years after its release. Since the inaugural ceremony in 1929, the Oscar for Best Picture has been awarded annually and is regarded as the event's most prestigious honor, traditionally the last trophy presented during the night. Over the years, some big box office successes have won the award, with Titanic, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, and Oppenheimer among the highest-grossing Best Picture winners.

Of the many movies to win Best Picture over the years, even big box office successes, very few have received sequels, often due to their standalone narratives, artistic integrity, among other reasons. One of the first Best Picture winners to receive a sequel was The Godfather which, the highest-grossing film at the time of its release, was followed by two sequels,...

The Francis Ford Coppola masterpiece “The Godfather” (1972) has been voted the greatest Oscar Best Picture winner ever. The results are from a recent Gold Derby ballot cast by 29 of our film experts and editors, who ranked all 96 movie champs.

Ranking in second place is the Michael Curtiz classic “Casablanca” (1943). Following in third place is the powerful Steven Spielberg film “Schindler’s List” (1993). Rounding out the top five are Coppola’s “The Godfather Part II” (1974) in fourth place and Billy Wilder‘s “The Apartment” (196o) in fifth place.

At the bottom of the list of the Best Picture winners is “The Greatest Show on Earth” (1952) from Cecil B. DeMille. Just above that film in the rankings are “Cimarron” (1931) from Wesley Ruggles, “The Broadway Melody” (1929) from Harry Beaumont, “Crash” (2005) from Paul Haggis, and “Around the World in 80 Days’ (1956) from Michael Anderson.

Our photo gallery above features the full top 10. See the complete rankings of all 96 films below.

The Francis Ford Coppola masterpiece “The Godfather” (1972) has been voted the greatest Oscar Best Picture winner ever. The results are from a recent Gold Derby ballot cast by 29 of our film experts and editors, who ranked all 96 movie champs.

Ranking in second place is the Michael Curtiz classic “Casablanca” (1943). Following in third place is the powerful Steven Spielberg film “Schindler’s List” (1993). Rounding out the top five are Coppola’s “The Godfather Part II” (1974) in fourth place and Billy Wilder‘s “The Apartment” (196o) in fifth place.

The worst among 96 Best Picture winners is “The Greatest Show on Earth” (1952) from Cecil B. DeMille. Just above that film on the bottom of the rankings are “Cimarron” (1931) from Wesley Ruggles, “The Broadway Melody” (1929) from Harry Beaumont, “Crash” (2005) from Paul Haggis, and “Around the World in 80 Days’ (1956) from Michael Anderson.

Our photo gallery below features the full top 10. See the complete rankings of all 96 films below.

The Lord of the Rings offers its fair share of evildoers, and Peter Jackson's Hobbit and Lord of the Rings movies just scratch the surface. Across three parts, the novel describes the Third Age rise to power of its titular tyrant, Sauron, the Lord of the Rings. Literature's greatest villain and by far the most well-known in The Lord of the Rings, Sauron was actually following in the footsteps of an evil that may have been greater than him. The wider legendarium contains even more complex characters, raising the question of who the most evil characters in LotR actually are.

Morgoth was Lord of the Rings' original villain, and he gave way to a whole host of evil beings. Created by Middle-earth's God, Eru Ilvatar, along with the others of his species (the Ainur), Morgoth sought the Godly ability to create life and rapidly descended into full-blown rebellion. He...

The Lord of the Rings reveals what becomes of characters like Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee after the War of the Ring, but it leaves questions about what happens to owyn following The Return of the King. J.R.R. Tolkien's books offer more insight into owyn's post-lotr future than the theatrical cut of Peter Jackson's movies. However, neither the source material nor the adaptations dig too deeply into her future, as they focus primarily on the story's leads. This is a shame, as owyn remains one of Lord of the Rings' most interesting supporting players.

It's also somewhat inevitable, as there's only so much time to dig into the aftermath of The Return of the King even in the extended edition of the film. Fortunately, those looking for answers about owyn's life after the War of the Ring can find some in Tolkien's writings. And there will be opportunities...

Dune: Part Two star Josh Brolin implores the Oscars to recognize Denis Villeneuve for the sequel after he was snubbed for the first movie. Based on the book by Frank Herbert, Villeneuve's first Dune movie was released in 2021. It was well-received and won six Oscars, including for Best Original Score, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, and Best Visual Effects, but Villeneuve himself wasn't nominated for Best Director. Dune: Part Two was critically acclaimed and a major box office success following its release earlier this year, but it remains unclear how it will perform at the upcoming Academy Awards.

In his new memoir, From Under The Truck (via Variety), Brolin, who plays Gurney Halleck in the franchise and is an Oscar nominee himself for his supporting performance in 2008's Milk, makes the bold statement that he'll "quit acting" if the filmmaker isn't recognized for Dune: Part Two. The actor celebrates the...

A new trailer and poster have been released (via GameFragger.com) for Warner Bros.' A Minecraft Movie and we're getting serious Jumanji vibes from this long-awaited big screen take on the hit video game franchise.

It's not just because Jack Black is leading the cast either; in this latest sneak peek, we watch as his character, Steve, discovers a means to travel into the world of Minecraft where he can create anything...provided it's block-shaped, of course.

He soon finds some new friends to tackle the dark forces intent on destroying that reality, and there are heaps of Easter Eggs and deep-cut references for those of you who know what to look out for.

Given what a huge fanbase Minecraft has, there's a good chance this will be a hit next year. However, a quick look on social media suggests gamers are divided when it comes to the direction...

Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures have released the new trailer for A Minecraft Movie, which reveals Steve’s origin story and more. A new poster for the movie was also released.

Directed by Jared Hess and based on the best-selling video game of all time, the first-ever live-action adaptation stars Jason Momoa, Jack Black, Emma Myers (Wednesday), Oscar nominee Danielle Brooks (The Color Purple), Sebastian Eugene Hansen, and Jennifer Coolidge.

Welcome to the world of Minecraft, where creativity doesn’t just help you craft; it’s essential to one’s survival! Four misfits—Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison (Momoa), Henry (Hansen), Natalie (Myers), and Dawn (Brooks)—find themselves struggling with ordinary problems when they are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into the Overworld: a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination.

To get back home, they’ll have to master this world while embarking on a magical quest with an unexpected,...

The Academy Awards are still months away but the best picture landscape is already taking shape. Some question marks remain — for example, both “Nosferatu” and the Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown” have yet to be widely seen. And the staying power of smaller indies like “A Real Pain” and “Nickel Boys” has yet to be tested. Critical attention could boost films like “I’m Still Here” and “Hard Truths.” And it’s been a great year for animation with films like “Inside Out 2” and “The Wild Robot” — can they break the bias into the lead race?

While we’ll have to wait a bit longer for answers, here’s a look at some of the films that are generating the most discussion to take home the top prize in March.

Anora

Neon

Anchored by Mikey Madison’s force-of-nature performance in the title role, Sean Baker’s tale of a...

The Denethor of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings novel was very different from the one in Peter Jackson's movies, and Jackson's changes sold both Denethor and Pippin short. Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy portrayed Denethor as an abusive father to Faramir, scalding in his words, tone of voice, and facial expressions. The emotional and verbal abuse he aimed at Faramir was accompanied by a downward spiral that culminated in one of fantasy's most chilling deaths. Denethor descended into despair, madness, and cowardice.

In Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie, Pippin swore allegiance to Denethor after the reveal of Boromir's death. As Denethor's preferred son, Boromir gave his life for the Hobbits, and Pippin's oath was made to look like a good-willing but naive kind of repayment. Gandalf seemed annoyed, backing up the view of Pippin as...

The Lord of the Rings has never stopped being popular, not since the books by J.R.R. Tolkien first came out in the 1950s, but the franchise is going through a prolific period right this moment the likes of which we've rarely seen. Amazon is airing its prequel series The Rings of Power, Warner Bros. Discovery is releasing the animated film The War of the Rohirrim this December, and there are a couple new versions of Peter Jackson's original Lord of the Rings movie trilogy going up for sale, both of which come with your own version of the One Ring.

It's not the One Ring, obviously, the one into which Sauron poured all of his malice and his will to dominate all life. That one's not real; it's silly to think it would be bundled with a 4K Ultra home video release of a movie trilogy...but still, best...

This article contains spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.Middle-earth's greatest villain, Sauron, is the primary antagonist in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, but the Dark Lord has several other names he goes by. Sauron is best known as the big bad of The Lord of the Rings, where he sought after the One Ring that Frodo Baggins and the Fellowship wanted to destroy. Set thousands of years before Peter Jackson's trilogy, The Rings of Power follows Sauron's rise and how he forged the 20 Rings of Power. In J.R.R. Tolkien's source material, Sauron is one of the oldest beings in Middle-earth.

Sauron went under different guises during the thousands of years he was alive. Using his powers as a Maia, Sauron could shapeshift, which enabled him to deceive others and take on different names. His most famous name, Sauron,...

Desert Warrior was unveiled in 2021 as a rallying cry for Saudi Arabian filmmaking. Starring Captain America’s Anthony Mackie and Oscar-winner Sir Ben Kingsley, the $150M epic was set up by Riyadh media giant Mbc to project a vision of ancient Arabia to the world, inspire a new generation of local storytellers, and entice other Hollywood blockbusters to run their hands through the Gulf’s golden sands.

A cast and crew of hundreds gathered in searing heat for the production helmed by Rupert Wyatt, the respected British director who reinvigorated 20th Century’s Planet of the Apes franchise. Word soon spread of Wyatt’s spectacular footage and stirring turns from Mackie and Aiysha Hart, the movie’s heroine.

Yet three years on from shooting in Saudia Arabia, Desert Warrior remains something of a mirage. Crew members have been posting throwback photos on Instagram and openly speculating about whether the movie...

Ever since his appearance in the premiere of Prime Videos The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Theo (Tyroe Muhafidin) has been a topic of heated debate, with many fans wondering why a character not appearing in Tolkiens lore would play such a seemingly important role in the series. Throughout his story arc, different theories about Theos future have appeared, with the credibility of many deteriorating as his character slowly evolved throughout the shows progression.

After Theo discovered the mysterious sword hilt linked to the Dark Lord (Charlie Vickers), fans speculated that he had an important connection to Sauron. Throughout his journey, fans have conjectured that this link to Sauron foretells Theo becoming a Nazgl (possibly the Witch-king of Angmar) or the Mouth of Sauron. Once Theo interacted with Isildur (Maxim Baldry), fans wondered if he could become the founder of Rohan or even the King of the Dead.

The Lord of The Rings: The War of The Rohirrim producer Philippa Boyens explains how the late Christopher Lee voices Saruman in the upcoming film. Directed by Kenji Kamiyama, the animated film takes place hundreds of years before the events of the Lord of the Rings, chronicling a conflict between Helm Hammerhand, the King of Rohan, and the Dunlendings.

During a recent interview with TheOneRing, Boyens reveals that Lee reprises his role as Saruman in The War of the Rohirrim. She explains that she were able to create the performance from existing audio tapes. Check out her comment below:

When we reached out to Gitte, Lady Lee, whos sadly no longer with us she said the thing that I think Peter [Jackson] felt in his heart, which was that Sir Christopher would have wanted this. And so we went into his records, I got to go back and hear his voice,...

The Mouth of Sauron is a mysterious figure in The Lord of the Rings, appearing grotesquely outside the Black Gates in part three of the novel, The Return of the King. Peter Jackson cut the Mouth of Sauron from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie but added him to the extended edition, confirming his importance to the narrative. High fantasy pioneer J.R.R. Tolkien defined many races in LotR, from Men to Wizards and Orcs. But the Mouth of Sauron of Peter Jackson's movie didn't seem like any of them.

Complicating matters somewhat, the Mouth of Sauron scene in The Return of the King extended edition changed the book's story substantially, necessitating differentiating the two to get to the heart of the matter. Although it distorted canon, Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy did a good job of cementing the horrifying Mouth of Sauron in the minds of millions,...

Is there room at the best picture table for more than one “part two?”

This year, several installments in established franchises are banging on the Academy’s door, hoping for a coveted slot in the category. With no clear frontrunner, this could be the season that more than one sequel secures a place in the race. That has happened only once, in 2022 (“Avatar: The Way of Water” and “Top Gun: Maverick”).

The Oscars have long hesitated to embrace anything with a Roman numeral affixed to it. Historically, only nine sequels have been nominated for best picture: “The Bells of St. Mary’s” (1945), “The Godfather Part II” (1974), “The Godfather Part III” (1990), “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” (2002), “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (2003), “Toy Story 3” (2010), “Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015), “Avatar: The Way of Water” (2022) and “Top Gun: Maverick” (2022). Just two — “Godfather 2” and “Return of the King” — won.

As is the case with most below-the-line Oscar categories, bigger equals better when it comes to Best Production Design. The more lavish the sets, the more accurate the period detail, the more extravagant the designs, the more likely your film will win an Academy Award. Formerly known as Best Art Direction/Set Decoration, this prize goes to the production designer and set decorator, leaving the poor art directors on the outside looking in; perhaps that accounts for the title change. (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2025 Oscar predictions for Best Production Design.)

Like Best Costume Design, this award rarely corresponds with Best Picture. Before “The Shape of Water” prevailed in both categories in 2018, the last to line-up was “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” in 2004. Often, the winner of this race hasn’t even been nominated for the top prize, as was the case with “Memoirs of a Geisha...

If you want to win an Oscar for Best Costume Design, it’s best to pick a project for which you can create frilly dresses from a bygone era. Since its introduction at the 1948 Academy Awards, this category has favored period pictures, including the 2024 winner “Poor Things.” (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2025 Oscar predictions for Best Costume Design.)

Voters love to reward the creative forces behind such films, especially those that are about the aristocracy including recent champs “Marie Antoinette” (2007), “Elizabeth: The Golden Age” (2008), “The Duchess” (2009), “The Young Victoria” (2010), and “Anna Karenina” (2013). By the way, none of those films even competed for Best Picture. Indeed, only 20 Best Picture champs also won this award; the last to do so was “The Artist” in 2012.

Among the other double dippers was “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (2004). Fantasy films such as this often boast Oscar-winning costumes, including 2022 champ “Cruella,...

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 made another massive change to canon, and though controversial, the prequel series just wouldn't have been worth making without it. Of course, this particular change was teased from the very beginning of Rings of Power season 1, but it was only confirmed in the finale of season 2. The backlash this inspired has been fierce, but it ultimately seems that the Prime Video series simply couldn't have gotten away with sticking to Tolkien canon in this case. Such an iconic character needed to be involved in a Lord of the Rings prequel.

Of course, the change in question involves the Stranger of Rings of Power being confirmed as Gandalf the Grey. In canon, this Istar didn't arrive in Middle-earth until the Third Age, and he most certainly didn't crash down in the form of a flaming meteor. Everything from his meeting with...

Disclaimer presents Catherine Ravenscroft, a famous journalist with the perfect life a brilliant career and a happy family. Stephen Brigstocke, on the other hand, has lost his job, his wife and his son and blames Catherine for everything. Ravenscroft's status, relations, and sanity are threatened when she receives a book from a familiar voice, one with a thirst for revenge, and knowledge of Catherine's deepest secret.

Critically acclaimed Mexican screenwriter and director Alfonso Cuarn unites an all-star cast of veterans and newcomers for his television debut. Apple TV's seven-part series is set to offer a cinematic experience told by the best of the best. Early Disclaimer reviews are already praising its leads, and the show's smart manipulation of narrative. By clashing several characters' points of view, the 2024 drama knows where it's taking you, but will not reveal it too soon.

Cast of Disclaimer

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Actor

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Cate Blanchett

Catherine Ravenscroft...

Peter Jacksons The Lord of the Rings movies make up one of the most popular fantasy series ever put to screen, but there are multiple different viewing orders that make sense for this story. The movies are based on the works of British author J.R.R. Tolkien, whose original fantasy books take place in Middle-earth and follow a wide selection of Humans, Elves, Dwarves, and Hobbits as they battle against the dark forces of evil that threaten their universe.

Since Peter Jacksons two trilogies take place at completely different points in time, audiences are now given a choice regarding how they want to experience this story. There are pros and cons to both Lord of the Rings viewing orders (release order and chronological order), with each option revealing information at different times and changing the way certain plot twists and surprises work. Plus, with the release of The Rings of Power on Amazon Prime Video,...

Aragorn is central to The Lord of the Rings and his claim to the throne is a huge part of what makes The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie so compelling. Frodo and Gollum provided the central contrast within Lord of the Rings' key theme, with Frodo representing contentedness with a natural and simple life and Gollum representing the problematic thirst for life everlasting, an echo of the same thirst in Tolkien's original villain, Morgoth. But while the Hobbits communicated the civilian manifestation of this theme, Aragorn's kingship concerned its sociopolitical application.

Aragorn had a valid claim to the throne, but he was heavily motivated to claim the crown by Elrond's ultimatum - that Aragorn could only marry Elrond's daughter, Arwen, if he became king of Gondor and Arnor. This motivation wasn't totally clear in the Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings movies. Not just a competent leader,...

When it comes to predicting the Oscar winner for Best Film Editing, you can’t go wrong by looking for the movie with the most cuts. Past winners “The Bourne Ultimatum” (2008), “Mad Max: Fury Road” (2016), “Ford v Ferrari” (2020), “Dune” (2022) and 2023’s champ “Everything Everywhere All at Once” included high-octane action sequences with frenetic cutting. A slew of winners — including “Saving Private Ryan” in 1999, “Black Hawk Down” (2002), “The Hurt Locker” (2010), “Hacksaw Ridge” (2017), “Dunkirk” (2018) and, to some extent, “Oppenheimer” (2024) — have been war pictures. (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2025 Oscar predictions for Best Film Editing.)

Oscar voters also embrace film editors who skillfully juggle multiple storylines, as was the case with “Traffic” (2001) and “Crash” (2006). And they like films that expertly inter-cut music with images, such as “Cabaret” (1973), “Chicago” (2003), “Whiplash” (2015), “Bohemian Rhapsody” (2019) and 2021 winner “Sound of Metal.” Special effects extravaganzas like “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (2004) and “Gravity...

The Lord of the Rings is full of some impressive armies, being a war story in many ways. Of course, it is also a high fantasy epic and an adventure story, among other things. Peter Jackson's Hobbit and Lord of the Rings trilogies were funny and romantic action movies, so they were partially suited to portraying J.R.R. Tolkien's descriptions of war. The action sequences in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, for instance, felt faithfully harrowing. But diving deeper into Tolkien's legendarium reveals a serious meditation on the struggles of war, across many realistic armies.

High fantasy creator J.R.R. Tolkien wrote his legendarium across multiple ages, setting The Lord of the Rings in the Third Age. The Third Age was followed by the Fourth Age, which Tolkien gave relatively little detail on. However, stories in The Lord of the Rings' appendices and The Silmarillion...